FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., has named four new counties as "Recovery Ready" communities: Breathitt, Jessamine, Lee and Nelson. 

The governor's office said the four counties have established addiction services for more than 120,000 Kentuckians, including peer support services, mental health treatment, addiction treatment, employment services and a stigma-free environment to reach recovery. This comes more than a month after the release of the 2023 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report, which showed Kentucky saw a 9.8% decline in drug overdose deaths in 2023. 

"We will never stop working to address addiction in every community across Kentucky because each life is precious, and Kentuckians deserve the chance to live without the pain of losing a loved one to an overdose,” Beshear said. "We have seen drug overdose deaths decline in the commonwealth over the past two years, and now thanks to the work of those in Breathitt, Jessamine, Lee and Nelson counties, we will be helping more families overcome addiction."

Recovery Ready certification encourages communities to provide transportation to and from employment services and job interviews, allowing Kentuckians to make necessary changes in their lives while contributing to the state's economic growth and filling jobs, Beshear's office said. 

Including the July 11 certifications, 14 Kentucky counties have been certified as "Recovery Ready" since the initiative began in May 2023. The program measures a city's or county’s substance use disorder recovery efforts.

“Last year, we certified seven counties as 'Recovery Ready,' and they saw hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians take advantage of their recovery resources," said Pam Darnall, chair of the Recovery Ready Communities Advisory Council. "We have already doubled the number of counties who have received a certification this year, and the year is only half over. We encourage each of Kentucky’s counties to become certified Recovery Ready Communities so more lives are saved and overdose deaths continue to decline.”

Here's a look at each county's work:

• Breathitt: The county's health department is preventing the spread of disease from drug use by connecting participants with providers who address physical and mental health. Mountain Comprehensive Care Center's Quick Response Team provides the county with collaborative and systemic community response upon an individual overdosing by quickly locating an available treatment bed 
• Jessamine: The county's health department provides extensive harm reduction, including offering syringe support services and fentanyl test strips at its main location and through its Mobile Harm Reduction Unit. Those in Kentucky's jail and prisons receive support through recovery, peer support services and case management by a licensed social worker. The county is also home to Shepherds House Recovery Community Center, offering access to recovery support meetings, clothing, employment support services and other opportunities 
• Lee: Lee County is home to the HUB, offering syringe support services, access to peer support services, recovery support meetings and transportation to treatment  
• Nelson: With collaboration and community involvement a top priority, the Bardstown Police Department has hired a full-time social worker to give officers more tools to address addiction and other issues while responding to calls 

More on the program can be found on its website. Those needing treatment help can call the KY Help Call Center at 833-859-4357 to speak one-on-one with a specialist.